Update from Vans Warped Tour

Hi everybody! Today marks Day 12 of our journey on the Vans Warped tour. So far, we’ve driven about 6,000 miles, had six wonderful host homes, and been to five of the seven stops (sorry we missed you, Phoenix and Salt Lake!).

Our team: Hannah, Grace, Christen, and Klara went from barely knowing each other at our first stop in Seattle, to understanding each other’s quirks and how personalities mesh together to form a cohesive team set on proclaiming LIFE and having thoughtful conversations with the people we encounter at each stop.

Our booth is all about protecting human life – all life, through all stages, no matter what. So, we don’t just talk about the preborn. We talk about adoption, fostering, the Students for Life Pregnant on Campus Initiative, pregnancy care centers, and the need for our society to support all women in difficult or unprepared pregnancy situations so they feel empowered and equipped to choose LIFE for their baby, whether that means parenting the child or placing their child into an adoptive home.

Check out each team member’s personal update below!

Hannah – As with anything in life, the beginning is the hardest. Going into this, I knew there would be a learning curve, but I wasn’t altogether prepared. From discovering that the AC in the back of the van wasn’t working properly, to having several team members having heat exhaustion in one day, the beginning has certainly gotten off to a rocky start…and I’m not saying that because we drove through the Rocky Mountains.

But since then, the team has really bonded in a way I would not have expected and every single person on the team has a conversation that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Already I talked to a woman who was post-abortive and believed that she couldn’t be valued because of that. Being able to open my heart and show her compassion and see that at least for a tiny moment, she felt cared for and loved, made this entire trip worth it. And that is just one conversation from the first five stops. that we may not be able to save every child from abortion by talking to people here, but I know that if we empower just one woman and we save just one child, it will be worth it.

Grace – The past couple weeks have been crazy! If I were to describe my experience on the tour so far, I would have to say: sleep deprived. Getting to know the girls has been great and learning how to work together is definitely a positive experience! We have finally gotten tent set-up and tear-down to a science and have become efficient enough to go from needing three handcarts to only needing two.

This has been a crazy ride – but this is what Rock for Life is all about: engaging the scene. And I am very excited for the next six weeks.

Knowing that my conversations with people can have an impact is an incredible responsibility. You never know who you are talking to. They could be a rape survivor, post-abortive, or someone who is broken and just needs someone or something to blame for their pain. Sometimes that’s the role that we fill and we need to accept that some people need to yell and that we can give them that release before coming to them in love and support. That is what the pro-life movement is all about: love.

Often times that love gets lost and we hyper-focus on winning every debate and strong-arming people into believing the way we do. However, we need to love every person we come in contact with because we have no idea where they are coming from. We may not see a change in someone’s opinion during the conversation, but if we approach them in love, a week, a month or a year later they might remember how kind, compassionate and loving you were and rethink their position. You never know how big the ripples you’re creating will get and the impact you can have.

Christen – Being on the Vans Warped Tour has been a new experience for me. I have learned so much already about people and their life stories. While some things have been challenging, I know that being on this tour is doing wonders for us as a team and for those that we talk with. I am very stoked to continue throughout the summer!

Klara – Being on Warped Tour has completely changed my life. I am far from home and with girls I’ve never met before. It’s still surreal that I get a chance to promote what I love in an environment I am very comfortable in. I have had some amazing conversations with people so far and have heard some very powerful stories. I am still adjusting to my new sleep schedule and the long drives and I feel like I will for the rest of the trip. I am excited for the summer and the new places we will be adventuring to!

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